


Promises, Promises

by Liz2010



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Moving In Together, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25536400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liz2010/pseuds/Liz2010
Summary: It wasn't Derek's fault Stiles reacted the other way he did.Some relationships leave marks. Some on the skin, and some under it.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	Promises, Promises

**Author's Note:**

> It's not my best work, but I've been dealing with some ex-boyfriend drama lately, and this came out of it. It deals with past abuse (not between Derek and Stiles!) but nothing is graphic. If you think this could trigger something for you, please don't read. 
> 
> As always, not beta read, all mistakes are mine, and won't be corrected because I don't plan on rereading this one. I own nothing and never will.

It wasn’t Derek’s fault that Stiles reacted the way he did. 

They had been together going on three years, having gotten together Stiles junior year of college. In the end, after all the longing looks and tensions filled car rides, it had been rather anticlimactic. Stiles was on break, as were the rest of the betas, so they had crashed Derek’s loft for a movie night. It had gotten late, so everyone was getting ready to go, the girls giving out hugs and the boys clapping each other on the back. 

Stiles had gone to do the same to Derek, then mindlessly gave him a soft peck of the lips, before turning to go. 

He had his jacket on and the front door open before he realized what he had done. Then he realized everything all at once. He remembered that he texted Derek first when he had a problem at school. He called him when he got a good grade on a paper or because he got the last chocolate chip muffin at the coffee shop. He cooked for Derek when he was home, freezing meals so he would have health things to eat while he was gone. He was so enamored, so head over heals in love with his alpha that he had kissed him without even thinking about it. 

But he didn’t know if Derek felt the same way.

He turned back, horrified at what he had done and ready to apologize, only to find Derek looking at him in pure wonder. The alpha crossed the room in moments, pulling Stiles close and kissing him breathless. 

Erica said it was about time, Isaac made a disgusted face, and Boyd gave him a rare smile. Scott tried to look happy. Which was about all Stiles could ask given that even now the two didn’t get alone, despite being in the same pack. 

They had been together ever since that night. Well, almost. 

Stiles had to go back to school and break up with Jason, his boyfriend at the time. It had been loud, it had been messy, and he left Jason’s dorm with a bloody lip from an angry fist, but it was finally over and he was with a man he loved. 

\-----  
Even thought they had been seeing each other for almost three years, Stiles and Derek were relatively new at the whole cohabitation thing. Sure, Stiles stayed over a lot on breaks from school and Derek visited him there as well, but now, they were officially moving in together. 

It was a wonderful step to their beautiful relationship, and was already going terribly.

“These aren’t going to fit Stiles,” Derek said angry, trying to close the overflowing dresser drawer. 

“How can you have so many clothes? Every shirt you ever wear gets ruined in an epic werewolf battle. Literally every week.” Stiles responded, flailing slightly as he continuing to unpack his wardrobe, despite the fact there the was no where else to put them.

Derek huffed, throwing up his hands and walking away from the mess that Stiles was determinedly making worse. 

This wasn’t their first argument of the day. Derek had been fine with Stiles taking over the kitchen, and Stiles accepted that Derek would always need more space in the bathroom for his many grooming products. 

But Derek didn’t think they needed a TV in the bedroom. Stiles did. Stiles though he should get equal space on the bookshelves, while Derek thought he ancient tomes of lore should take priority. 

But they settle all those arguments with kisses and compromises. Stiles agreed to forgo the TV, as long as he could watch movies on his laptop in bed. Derek agreed to let Stiles have one third of the bookshelves, as long as he promised not to intermix the ancient, priceless books with Stiles comic books and graphic novels. 

It was all very domestic, but there was an uncomfortable feeling between the two of them, like every time they made up, they were both just waiting on another argument. Like things were simmering under the service. 

Stiles didn’t like it but he had no idea how to fix it either. But he signed, then went downstairs where Derek was angrily breaking down the moving boxes. 

Stiles frowned at his grumpy wolf. He knew he wasn’t really mad, or at least not mad at Stiles. He was simply frustrated. Derek had wanted this to be a special day, a happy day, but everything was going wrong. He was disappointed, that was all. 

“Look, we’ll just go get another dresser, or at least a bigger one.” Stiles said, coming up behind him to kiss his cheek. “It’s still early. We can get to the IKEA and back before dark.”

“Or you could just get ride of some of your shirts.” A half smile creeped onto Derek’s face, but he twisted so he could kiss Stiles back. They kissed for a moment, but Stiles knew they didn’t have all day to make out, as much as he wanted to. He broke the kiss off with one last peck, before pushing his boyfriend out the door and grabbing his keys. 

\------  
IKEA was a lot. It was loud and crowded, and after they long day of unpacking they had already had, it was giving Derek a headache. 

“What about this one? It’s big and looks nice and modern. It will go well with the whole mattress on the floor vibe you have going. Unless you want to get a bedframe while we are here?”

“I don’t care Stiles.”

“Maybe this one then? It’s smaller, but the drawers are bigger.”

“I don’t care.”

Stiles fixed him with an unimpressed look. 

“Listen big guy, this is going to be our dresser. For our home. So I would like a little impute here. This whole broody thing you having going today reminds me a lot of when we first met, when you liked to slam me into things. And I’m not loving the reminder.” 

Stiles crossed his arms like he was grumpy, but there was something in his scent that was even stronger. It was bitter like pain, and it burned Derek’s nose.

Derek signed, chastised and ashamed. “I’m sorry.”

“I accept.” Stiles ran a hand through his hair, looking tired. “Maybe we should call it a day. Try again tomorrow. I’ve still got a week before I start work and I can put my stuff in boxes for now.”

Derek shook his head. He had plans for Stiles week off. Plans that included naked time between the sheets and not shopping for dressers. Plus he hated the idea of his boyfriend having to live out of boxes. 

“Let’s get the first one.”

“Great.” Stiles perked up. “Then we’ll grab and extra bookcase, since we’re here, and we can go.”

\-------  
They got the boxes of furniture upstairs with little trouble, thanks to Derek’s werewolf strength. But putting them together was an entirely different story. 

Derek clawed open the box that contained the dresser, figuring the bookshelf could wait until tomorrow. He began to pull out the many, many parts, feeling more and more overwhelmed as he went.

“Do you want veggies on your pizza or all meat?” Stiles asked, playing on his phone and not even noticing that his boyfriend actually working. 

“I don’t care.”

“Okay, fine. But I don’t want to hear it when I order a deluxe and you think the onions smell funny and refuse to let me eat in the bedroom.”

“Stiles.” He growled out as he looked in frustration at the directions and his boyfriend ignored him.

“Stiles!”

“What?” Stiles finally looked up from him phone and noticed the mess. “Oh shit. You suck at this don’t you.”

Derek bared his blunt human teeth as Stiles sat down and began to help. Things did not get better.

“That doesn’t go there.”

“Pretty sure it does.”

“No it doesn’t.”

“It has to, right. The picture shows that it should go right in the hole.”

“No it doesn’t. If it did, then that screw wouldn’t go with that, and it has to or else the drawers won’t open.”

“Oh.”

“Well maybe they are trying to promote creative construction? I mean, IKEA is Swedish, right? And the Swedes are a very progressive people. They have that universal healthcare and what not. Plus they,”

Derek interrupted, trying to focus long enough to make sense of the stupid directions. “Stiles I swear to God, if you don’t shut up.”

He left the threat unfinished, because there really wasn’t anything he would do. But it worked, if a little too well. Because now Stiles was silent, but the scent of misery drifted off him, much stronger than the situation called for. He even sniffled a few times, like he was trying to stop tears, but Derek had a hard time believing that something so small could make him cry. 

Derek rubbed his head. He was beginning to wish Stiles wasn’t helping, that he had let him play on his phone and just figured it himself. They worked in aggressive silence for awhile until they were nearly done. All that was left was to put in the drawers.

“Why do I have five extra screws left?” Stiles voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

Derek rolled his eyes so hard it hurt as his frayed temper snapped. He stood in a huff, stomping over and making a move to grab the screws out of Stiles’ hand by wrapping his hand around Stiles’ wrist and pulling slightly. 

Stiles freaked the fuck out. He threw himself away from a bewildered Derek, who let go of Stiles arm immediately. Stiles curled into himself, one hand half covering his head.  
“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me.”

Derek stopped fucking breathing as his boyfriend cowered away from him.

“Please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t hit me, don’t hit me.” Stiles was full on sobbing, nearly hysterical. 

Derek moved slowly towards him, approaching him like one would a wounded animal. 

“Stiles.” He said calmly, hands out in front of him.

Stiles was crying so hard he wasn’t breathing now, snot covering his face. 

“Stiles.” He repeated firmly. “Stiles I am not going to hurt you. But you need to breathe.”

He shook his head but didn’t flinch as Derek moved a little closer. 

“Breathe.” 

Stiles took a shuttering gasp, and he wrapped his arms around Derek. Stiles was shaking hard enough it was scaring him. 

They sat there for a while, until the tears stopped and Stiles had calmed. His hands still shook slightly but for now, Derek would take it. 

“Did you really think I was going to hit you? Do you think I could ever do that to you? To anyone?”

“No.” Stiles shook his head and his heart stayed steady. “I know you would never hurt anyone who wasn’t trying to actively hurt the pack. You’re a big old teddy bear.”

Stiles have Derek a weak smile and Derek let out a relieved breath. He didn’t know if he could live with himself if Stiles truly though him capable of such a terrible thing. 

“Then why?”

“Why did I fucking freak out?” Stiles looked away, eyes going distant. “Jason.”

Derek couldn’t help the way his eyes flashed at the idea of anyone laying a hand on his boyfriend. 

“He hit you.” 

Stiles shrugged. “Not like you’re thinking. He didn’t beat me or anything. But when he got upset, he would just get so angry. Sometimes he forgot to be careful. He would jerk me to hard or push me away and not care where I fell.”

“That’s still abuse.”

“I know. But he was my first real grown up relationship. And when he was in a good mood, he was kind and sweet. It was only when he was mad that he got physical. I told myself that he didn’t mean it, that it wasn’t that bad. By the time I realized how twisted it was, I was already breaking up with him to be with you.”

Derek pulled Stiles onto his lap, kissing his check, while smoothing his messy hair over and over. 

“No one should ever treat you that way.”

“I know that too. And they won’t. Because I’m with you know. And I know you won’t hurt me.”

Derek had never been surer of anything in his entire life. “I won’t. I swear. I promise.”

Stiles scent soured. 

“What?”

“He used to promise too. Every time, he promised it was the last time.”

Derek didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to fix this. He buried his head in Stiles’ neck and whined softly. 

They stayed that way for a long time, until Stiles tears had dried and he no longer smelled of fear. 

“I can’t fix what he did to you. I’m sorry for it, but I can’t take it away. But I can promise to keep you safe from here on out.”

Stiles smiled and looked at him so softly. “I know. I won’t hurt you either Derek.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too you big softly. Now, let’s just leave this and go downstairs and eat, maybe watch a movie. The pizza should be here soon.”

“Are you sure your alright?” It killed Derek to ask, but he needed Stiles to be alright more than he needed himself to be. “Do you need to maybe stay at your dad’s tonight, or Scott's? I want you to feel safe.”

“No. I’m good here. I want to be here with you.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Stiles shrugged, still smelling and sounding flat and wrong. He should never look like so beaten down. “Let me freak out when I need to. Don’t make me feel bad for having the reactions I do.”

“I’m sorry.” Derek felt awful.

“Derek, I promise. I want to stay here. I want to stay at home.”

Home. It sounded good.


End file.
